Ira Glass, the voice and mind behind the This American Life radio show & podcast, is often asked about his creative process. How does he manage to keep putting out such exceptional episodes? Finding new material to talk about? Setting a standard in broadcasting that hundreds of thousands now strive for.
In an interview he did On Storytelling, he explains what NO ONE tells beginners.
For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. – Ira Glass On Storytelling
You can listen to the rest of this excerpt, and follow along in this typeset video from David Shiyang Liu:
Feeling inspired? Motivated? Download our charmingly simple “Ira Glass On Storytelling” handwritten poster for your wall or desktop
Elisa Doucette is a writer and editor who works with professional writers, entrepreneurs, and brands that want to make their own words even better. She is the Founder of Craft Your Content, and oversees Client Strategy and Writing Coaching. Her own writing has been featured in places like Forbes, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Small Business, and The Huffington Post, among others. She also hosts the Writers' Rough Drafts podcast here on CYC. When she isn't writing, editing, or reading words, she can usually be found at a local pub quiz, deep in a sun salutation, or binging TV shows for concept ideas and laughs.
